Heat dissipation device

ABSTRACT

An exemplary heat dissipation device is adapted for dissipating heat generated by an electronic component mounted on a printed circuit board. The heat dissipation device includes a first base, a second base placed on the first base, a fin set placed on the second base; and a heat pipe including an evaporating section sandwiched between the first base and the second base, a condensing section sandwiched between the second base and the fin set, and a connecting section interconnecting the evaporating section and the condensing section.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to heat dissipation devices, and moreparticularly to a heat dissipation device incorporating heat pipes.

2. Description of Related Art

Electronic components, such as central processing units (CPUs) andintegrated circuit (IC) packages, comprise numerous circuits operatingat high speed and generating substantial heat. Under most circumstances,it is necessary to cool the electronic components in order to maintainsafe operating conditions and assure that the electronic componentsfunction properly and reliably. Typically, a finned metal heatdissipation device is attached to an outer surface of the electroniccomponent to remove the heat therefrom. The heat absorbed by the heatdissipation device is then dissipated to ambient air.

However, as the operating speed of electronic components has beencontinually upgraded, increasingly, the above-described kind ofconventional heat dissipation device can no longer meet the heatdissipation requirements of modern electronic components.

What is needed, therefore, is a heat dissipation device which canovercome the above-described problems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present heat dissipation device can be betterunderstood with reference to the following drawings. The components inthe drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis insteadbeing placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the presentheat dissipation device. Moreover, in the drawings, like referencenumerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an assembled, isometric view of a heat dissipation device inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the heat dissipation device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an inverted, exploded view of the heat dissipation device ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a front plan view of the heat dissipation device of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a heat dissipation device in accordance withan exemplary embodiment of the disclosure is used for dissipating heatgenerated by an electronic component (not shown) mounted on a printedcircuit board (not shown). The heat dissipation device comprises a firstbase 10 for thermally contacting the electronic component, a second base20 disposed on the first base 10, a fin set 30 disposed on the secondbase 20, and a plurality of heat pipes 40 thermally connecting the firstbase 10 and the second base 20 with the fin set 30.

The first base 10 is made of metal with good heat conductivity, such asaluminum, copper, or alloys thereof. The first base 10 has a rectangularprofile. Two elongated first receiving grooves 12 are defined in a topface of the first base 10. The two first receiving grooves 12 are spacedfrom and parallel to each other. Two first recessed portions 14 aredefined in the top face of the first base 10. The two first recessedportions 14 are located at two opposite lateral sides of the first base10. The two first recessed portions 14 are correspondingly locatedadjacent to ends of the two first receiving grooves 12. In thisembodiment, the first receiving grooves 12 extend along a lengthwisedirection of the first base 10.

The second base 20 is made of metal with good heat conductivity, such asaluminum, copper, or alloys thereof. The second base 20 has arectangular profile. Two cutouts 22 are defined at two opposite lateralsides of the second base 20, respectively. The cutouts 22 are locatedcorresponding to the recessed portions 14 of the first base 10. In otherwords, the cutouts 22 correspondingly face the recessed portions 14. Abottom face of the second base 20 thermally contacts the top face of thefirst base 10. An area of the second base 20 is larger than that of thefirst base 10. In this embodiment, a width of the second base 20 isequal to a length of the first base 10.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 also, the fin set 30 comprises a plurality ofparallel fins 32. A passage (not labeled) is defined between every twoadjacent fins 32 to allow airflow therethrough. Each of the fins 32comprises an upright sheet body, and a pair of flanges bent horizontallyfrom a top of the sheet body and engaging the sheet body of an adjacentfin 32. A bottom face of the fin set 30 thermally contacts a top face ofthe second base 20. Two elongated second receiving grooves 34 aredefined in the bottom face of the fin set 30. The two second receivinggrooves 34 are spaced from and parallel to each other. Two secondrecessed portions 36 are defined in the bottom face of the fin set 30.The two second recessed portions 36 are located at two opposite lateralsides of the fin set 30. The two second recessed portions 36 arecorrespondingly located adjacent to ends of the two second receivinggrooves 34. The two second recessed portions 36 are correspondinglycommunicated with the two cutouts 22 of the second base 20 and the twofirst recessed portions 14 of the first base 10. Each second recessedportion 36 cooperates with a corresponding cutout 22 and a correspondingfirst recessed portion 14 to form a receiving space.

Each of the heat pipes 40 comprises an evaporating section 44, acondensing section 46 spaced from the evaporating section 44, and aconnecting section 42 interconnecting the evaporating section 44 and thecondensing section 46. Each heat pipe 40 is U-shaped. The evaporatingsection 44 is parallel to the condensing section 46 of each heat pipe40. Both the evaporating section 44 and the condensing section 46 ofeach heat pipe 40 have a semicircular transverse cross section. In thisembodiment of the disclosure, there are two heat pipes 40 juxtaposedwith each other. The evaporating section 44 of each heat pipe 40 isreceived in a corresponding first receiving groove 12 of the first base10. The evaporating sections 44 of the heat pipes 40 are sandwichedbetween the first base 10 and the second base 20. Top faces of theevaporating sections 44 of the heat pipes 40 are coplanar with the topface of the first base 10. The condensing section 46 of each heat pipe40 is received in a corresponding second receiving groove 34 of the finset 30. The condensing sections 46 of the heat pipes 40 are sandwichedbetween the second base 20 and the fin set 30. Bottom faces of thecondensing sections 46 of the heat pipes 40 are coplanar with the bottomface of the fin set 30. The condensing sections 46 of the heat pipes 40are spaced from the top face of the first base 10. The connectingsection 42 of each heat pipe 40 is accommodated in a correspondingreceiving space.

In use of the heat dissipation device, heat absorbed by the first base10 is transferred to the second base 20, then distributed to the fin set30, and finally dissipated into the ambient. A thermal conductivecapability between the first base 10 and the fin set 30 is enhanced viathe heat pipes 40, whereby heat accumulated in the first base 10 is morequickly conducted and the heat dissipation efficiency of the heatdissipation device is thus greatly improved. Additionally, besides theelectronic component mounted on the printed circuit board, there aretypically other electronic components mounted on the printed circuitboard nearby. The area of the first base 10 is limited to a certainextent, and is therefore able to avoiding interfering with certain otherelectronic components in certain applications. As the first base 10, thesecond base 20 and the fin set 30 are separate components, the area ofthe second base 20 overlapping on the first base 10 can be suitablyconfigured for a particular application, and the size of the fin set 30placed on the second base 20 can be suitably configured for theparticular application, with no need to consider reconfiguring the otherelectronic components mounted on the printed circuit board.

It can be understood that, in alternative embodiments, the first base 10can be combined with the second base 20 to form a single unitary(integrated) piece, i.e, a base module 100 (see FIG. 4). In such case,the evaporating sections 44 of the heat pipes 40 are inserted into thebase module 100.

It is to be further understood that even though numerous characteristicsand advantages of the present embodiment(s) have been set forth in theforegoing description, together with details of the structures andfunctions of the embodiment(s), the disclosure is illustrative only, andchanges may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, andarrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the fullextent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which theappended claims are expressed.

1. A heat dissipation device comprising: a first base; a second baseplaced on the first base; a fin set placed on the second base; and aheat pipe comprising an evaporating section sandwiched between the firstbase and the second base, a condensing section sandwiched between thesecond base and the fin set, and a connecting section interconnectingthe evaporating section and the condensing section.
 2. The heatdissipation device of claim 1, wherein a first receiving groove isdefined in a top face of the first base, and the evaporating section isreceived in the first receiving groove.
 3. The heat dissipation deviceof claim 2, wherein a top face of the evaporating section is coplanarwith the top face of the first base.
 4. The heat dissipation device ofclaim 2, wherein a second receiving groove is defined in a bottom faceof the fin set, and the condensing section is received in the secondreceiving groove.
 5. The heat dissipation device of claim 4, wherein thebottom face of the condensing section is coplanar with the bottom faceof the fin set.
 6. The heat dissipation device of claim 1, wherein afirst recessed portion is defined in the top face of the first base, acutout is defined in the second base, a second recessed portion isdefined in the bottom face of the fin set, and the first recessedportion communicated with the cutout and the second recessed portion,thereby forming a receiving space.
 7. The heat dissipation device ofclaim 6, wherein the connecting section is accommodated in the receivingspace.
 8. The heat dissipation device of claim 1, wherein an area of thesecond base is larger than that of the first base.
 9. The heatdissipation device of claim 8, wherein the first base and the secondbase are both rectangular, and a width of the second base is equal to alength of the first base.
 10. The heat dissipation device of claim 1,wherein the heat pipe is U-shaped, and the evaporating section isparallel to the condensing section.
 11. The heat dissipation device ofclaim 1, wherein the fin set comprises a plurality of parallel finsengaging with each other.
 12. A heat dissipation device comprising: abase module, the base module comprising a first base and a second basedisposed on the first base; a fin set placed on the second base of thebase module; and a heat pipe comprising an evaporating section insertedinto the base module, a condensing section thermally contacting the finset, and a connecting section interconnecting the evaporating sectionand the condensing section.
 13. The heat dissipation device of claim 12,wherein the evaporating section is sandwiched between the first base andthe second base.
 14. The heat dissipation device of claim 13, wherein afirst receiving groove is defined in a top face of the first base, andthe evaporating section is received in the first receiving groove. 15.The heat dissipation device of claim 13, wherein the condensing sectionis sandwiched between the second base and the fin set.
 16. The heatdissipation device of claim 15, wherein a second receiving groove isdefined in a bottom face of the fin set, and the condensing section isreceived in the second receiving groove.
 17. The heat dissipation deviceof claim 12, wherein a first recessed portion is defined in the top faceof the first base, a cutout is defined in the second base, a secondrecessed portion is defined in the bottom face of the fin set, and thefirst recessed portion communicated with the cutout and the secondrecessed portion, thereby forming a receiving space.
 18. The heatdissipation device of claim 17, wherein the connecting section isaccommodated in the receiving space.
 19. The heat dissipation device ofclaim 12, wherein an area of the second base is larger than that of thefirst base.
 20. The heat dissipation device of claim 12, wherein theheat pipe is U-shaped, and the evaporating section is parallel to thecondensing section.